Senator David Carlucci Partners With Organ Donation Advocates & Fellow Lawmakers to Kick Off Organ Donor Enrollment Day in Rockland County

New York’s continued efforts like this have helped increase the organ donor registry from 2,286,328 people to 6,433,665 people since 2010, nearly tripling and reflecting a growth of 181%, according to Donate Life New York State. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a 12% drop in organ donor enrollments as of August of 2020 compared to the same time last year. The pandemic, making organ donor enrollment more pressing this year than ever. By educating communities about the importance of organ donation with events like this one, advocates hope to change hearts and minds.

Heart transplant recipient, Roxanne Watson said, “Be somebody’s hero like my Donor Michael was for the five of  us.”

Watson’s donor, Michael Bovill was a 23-year-old, U.S. Coast Guard cadet and fireman who was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident in 2010 on the George Washington Bridge. After Watson’s transplant she made it her mission to sign up as many organ donors as possible and has set a record of more than 11,000 people.

"People like Roxanne Watson exemplify why we should all support organ donation. Every 18 hours someone in NYS dies waiting for an organ - and there are currently over 9,500 people on the waiting list. Sadly, New York State still ranks last in the nation in percent of residents registered as organ donors. We can and should do better. Remember Roxanne's moving story about her donor Michael and consider registering today - you could literally save a life," said Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski.

“I was proud to stand alongside my colleagues in government and organ recipients to raise awareness about Organ Donor Enrollment Day,” said Senator James Skoufis. “Currently, over 9,300 New Yorkers are on a waitlist for an organ transplant, and encouraging altruistic donations is an important step in closing the gap between people who need transplants and people who are willing to donate. I thank Senator Carlucci and all of the advocates for their dedication to this issue and look forward to continuing to partner with them to save lives.”

“New Yorkers have been through a lot this year, but in difficult times we always come together to support one another,” said LiveOnNY President and CEO Helen Irving. “We hope this Organ Donor Enrollment Day will inspire more people to learn about the power of organ donation and to have conversations about their end of life wishes. Just as masks save lives, so do life-saving organ donors. Let’s come together to bring hope to the nearly 10,000 people in our state still waiting for a transplant.”  

“We know that our fellow New Yorkers overwhelmingly support organ and tissue donation, so New York State Donor Enrollment Day is about helping to turn that support into action, and registering as many donors as possible. I know our efforts will go a long way to bring hope to the thousands of men, women and children currently waiting for a lifesaving transplant,” said Donate Life New York State Executive Director, Aisha Tator.

Residents can learn more about organ donation and sign up to register today by visiting: https://donatelife.ny.gov/ref/LiveOnNYDD140/.